Hawaiʻi Volcanoes

National Park

Hawaiʻi Volcanoes

National Park

Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park was originally established along with Haleakalā National Park as “Hawai‘i National Park” in 1916, the year the National Park Service was created. In 1961, the two parks became independent. Here within the more than 330,000 vast acres of designated parklands you can find two of the world’s most active volcanoes—Mauna Loa and Kīlauea—as well as tiny nananana makakiʻi (happyface spiders), carnivorous caterpillars, exquisite ʻapapane (an endemic honeycreeper), towering hapuʻu fern forests, and the nesting beaches of critically endangered honuʻea (hawksbill sea turtles). Many of the park’s species are listed as rare, protected or endangered. Kīlauea’s summit area is accessible by car. The Kīlauea Visitor Center just inside the park entrance is open every day, offering interpretive programs, museum exhibits, a park film, reference materials, and guided walks. A Hawaiʻi Pacific Parks Association park store in the visitor center showcases books, photography, maps, apparel, and more.

Cultural sites, representing six centuries of habitation by Native Hawaiians, are also special features of the park. Some of those features are historic foot trails, petroglyph fields, once-inhabited lava tube caves, and even the preserved footsteps of people traversing the Ka‘ū Desert, caught in deadly ash fall in the late 1700s. Coastal fishing villages once dotted the hot, dry coastline. Their ruins can still be seen along the coastal trails between remote campgrounds. The summit of Kīlauea is still visited by hula hālau (schools) who come to pay tribute to Pele, the volcano deity who dwells at Halemaʻumʻau crater.

The Kahuku Unit section of the park is located between mile markers 70 and 71 miles south of Hilo. This section is open Wednesday through Sunday) from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm. The gate will be locked at 4:00 pm.

**Hours of operation may change due to emergency situations, without notice.

This park is large enough to encompass all weathers—summit to sea. While Hawaiʻi’s climate is fairly consistent year-round, it’s the elevation that determines what sort of weather you should plan for. At sea level, hot and humid conditions prevail. The Kahuku Ranch area is a little cooler but can be hot when the sun comes out. The Kīlauea summit area is often in cloud, and temperatures range from the 50s to the 70s. The Mauna Loa summit, at 13,679 feet above sea level, can be a frigid, foggy, sleeting, snowing, howling cold place. There, real mountaineering gear applies.

PARK LOCATION

Explore the Park

Hiking and Trails

Begin your adventure at the Kīlauea Visitor Center to orient yourself on the great summit crater of Kīlauea, then explore Crater Rim Trail to the mesmerizing Steam Bluff. Chain of Craters Road will take you over successive years of lava flows and terminate at the edge of the last lava flow to cover the coastal road.

ʻIke hana Noʻeau

Weekly ʻIke Hana Noʻeau cultural and crafting workshops enrich the Visitor Center experience, and the yearly Cultural Festival and BioBlitz is not to be missed. Make sure to catch the bi-monthly After Dark in the Park series featuring researchers, dance performances and local musicians.

Park Wildlife

Keep your ears and eyes open for a flock of the iconic nēnē—they call when they fly. The nēnē is the only Hawaiian goose, and is the official state bird. This World Heritage Site and Biosphere Reserve, with its lush tree fern and ʻōhiʻa lehua forest, is alive with the sound of ʻapapane birds foraging in the canopy.

The 116,000-acre Kahuku unit of Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park is a former cattle ranch encompassing historic eruption sites on the slope of Mauna Loa volcano. The striking landscape offers both physical reminders of the ranching history and remnants of the original forests. The park is working to restore the specific plants and animals of pre-ranching Kahuku. The park offers guided hikes, and HPPA partners with the park on ʻIke Hana Noʻeau cultural demonstrations that are free to all. Guided hikes include: People and Land of Kahuku, Palm Trail, ʻŌhiʻa Lehua, Puʻu o Lokuana, Hiʻiaka & Pele.

For more information about Kahuku programs call 808-929-807. Kahuku is located on Hwy 11 in Kaʻū near mile marker 70.5.

PARK LOCATION

Explore Kahuku

Hiking and Trails

NPS guided hikes are scheduled year around, and there are also self-guided trails. Guided hikes for 2017 included: People and Land of Kahuku, 'Ōhi'a Lehua, Hi'iaka & Pele. Palm Trail is a moderately difficult 2.6-mile loop traversing scenic pastures along an ancient cinder cone with some of the best panoramic views Kahuku has to offer. Pu‘u o Lokuana is a short, moderately difficult 0.4-mile hike to the top of the grassy cinder cone, Pu‘u o Lokuana.

Cultural Festivals

We partner with the park on ʻIke Hana Noʻeau “Experience The Skillful Work” cultural demonstrations that are free to all. Join NPS and HPPA staff to learn how to weave lauhala (pandanus leaf) into bracelets and bookmarks, stamp cloth with a carved bamboo stamper in the traditional Hawaiian style, and more. Check with Visitor Center staff to find the current schedule of offerings.

Park Biodiversity

Kahuku was a ranch until relatively recently, and park staff are still working to restore the native forest landscape in the most promising areas. There are no land animals native to Hawaiʻi, so for Kahuku, the return of the forest will mean the return of native forest birds such as the deep red ʻapapane and crimson ʻiʻiwi. Kahuku is also known for variations in the color of the iconic, and usually-scarlet ʻōhiʻa lehua blossom. Look for the lehua blossom in salmon, yellow, and orange.

EXPLORE THE PARK

Hiking and Trails

Begin your adventure at Jaggar Museum to view the great summit caldera of Kīlauea, then explore Crater Rim Trail to the Kīlauea Iki trailhead. Chain of Craters Road will take you over successive years of lava flows and terminates at the start of the coastal trail to the 61g lava flow.

ʻIke hana Noʻeau

Frequent ʻIke Hana Noʻeau cultural and crafting workshops enhance the visitor center experience, and the yearly Cultural Festival and BioBlitz is not to be missed. Make sure to catch the bi-monthly After Dark in the Park series featuring researchers, dance performances and local musicians.

Park Wildlife

Keep your ears and eyes open for a flock of the iconic nēnē—they call when they fly. The nēnē is the only remaining Hawaiian goose species, and is the official state bird. This World Heritage Site and Biosphere Reserve with its lush tree fern and ʻōhiʻa lehua forest, is alive with the sound of ʻapapane birds foraging in the canopy.

Hiking and Trails

NPS guided hikes are scheduled year around, and there are also self-guided trails. Guided hikes for 2017 included: People and Land of Kahuku, 'Ōhi'a Lehua, Hi'iaka & Pele. Palm Trail is a moderately difficult 2.6-mile loop traversing scenic pastures along an ancient cinder cone with some of the best panoramic views Kahuku has to offer. Pu‘u o Lokuana is a short, moderately difficult 0.4-mile hike to the top of the grassy cinder cone, Pu‘u o Lokuana.

Cultural Events

We partner with the park on ʻIke Hana Noʻeau “Experience the Skillful Work” cultural demonstrations that are free to all. Join NPS and HPPA staff to learn how to weave lauhala (pandanus leaf) into bracelets and bookmarks, stamp cloth with a carved bamboo stamper in the traditional Hawaiian style, and more. Check wit visitor center staff to find the current schedule of offerings.

Park Biodiversity

Kahuku was a ranch until relatively recently, and park staff are still working to restore the native forest landscape in the most promising areas. There are no land animals native to Hawaiʻi, so for Kahuku, the return of the forest will mean the return of native forest birds such as the deep red ʻapapane and crimson ʻiʻiwi. Kahuku is also known for variations in the color of the iconic, and usually scarlet, ʻōhiʻa lehua blossom. Look for the blossom color variations in salmon, yellow, and orange.

PARK FEATURES

Hover to Discover

The park boundaries contain the summits of two of the world's most active volcanoes: Kīlauea and Mauna Loa. Kīlauea erupted continuously for over 30 years, but is currently quiet.

The extremely rare and critically endangered honuʻea (hawksbill sea turtle) nests on the protected shoreline of the park.

For over 10 years, Kīlauea erupted in two areas: the summit at Halemaʻumaʻu, and in the volcano’s East Rift Zone at Puʻu ʻŌʻō.

Attentive naturalists may catch sight of the jewel-like iridescent koa bug, which is found on the native tree of the same name, and is only found in Hawaiʻi.

Most visitors to the park readily notice ʻapapane, the deep red, black, and white forest bird foraging in the forest around the summit.

The ʻōhiʻa lehua tree is the keystone species of Hawaiian forests, and supports numerous native bird and insect species.